JP4514765B2 - Plant cultivation equipment - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a plant cultivation equipment for the cultivation of plants.

In addition to light and temperature, moisture, nutrients, and air are essential for plant growth. In particular, moisture and nutrients need to be supplied according to the degree of growth and temperature of the plant. In horticulture that enjoys plant growth, there are problems such as forgetting water supply, not being able to supply water when going out or traveling, or failing cultivation without applying fertilizer properly.
In order to reduce the trouble of water supply and fertilizer replenishment and prevent forgetting to supply water, automatic irrigation devices using capillary action, water pressure of water supply, electric pumps, etc. are provided (for example, see Patent Documents 1 to 3). . However, these devices can be used indoors because the root rhizosphere of the plant may become excessively humid and cause root rot, or the fertilizer components cannot be mixed, resulting in poor growth, or the irrigated liquid leaks outside. There was a problem such as difficult to do. In particular, none of the household devices have solved these problems.
A device has been devised that can forcibly drain the liquid in the flowerpot after supplying it using the principle of a vacuum pump or siphon to prevent over- humidity of the plant rhizosphere for agriculture and business use. (For example, see Patent Documents 4 to 8). Moreover, the apparatus using the non-contact pump using a chemical-resistant pump and an air pressure is also devised so that the nutrient solution containing a fertilizer component can be sent (for example, refer patent document 9). Moreover, the apparatus which collect | recovers nutrient solution using gravity is also devised so that a liquid may not leak outside (for example, refer patent document 10).

JP 2000-300092 A JP 11-299373 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-033074 JP 05-284865 A JP 2000-4696 A JP 2000-61360 A JP 2000-31539 A JP 2000-324964 A JP 7-25930 A JP 2000-224933 A

However, in the automatic water supply apparatus proposed so far, two pumps, ie, a feed pump for feeding liquid or a compressor for feeding liquid and a vacuum pump for draining, are used, and separate pumps for feeding and draining are used. These two pipes are necessary, and there is a problem that the apparatus has a complicated structure. In order to solve these problems, a device using a vacuum pump with a compressor function has been devised so that liquid can be supplied and discharged by one unit, but a switching valve and a negative pressure tank are necessary, and both devices are large-scale. It is. Therefore, these apparatuses are complicated, and there is a problem that they are not suitable for use in a place such as a home where simplicity and convenience and ease of maintenance are required. In addition, a device using a vacuum pump generates a large noise and is not suitable for use in a quiet place such as a home.
The present invention resides in that the operation sound is quiet, the liquid supply, drainage, and ventilation in the cultivation container can be performed, and the plant can be easily cultivated.

The characteristic configuration of the invention according to claim 1 is as illustrated in FIGS.
The tube pump 1 is connected to a bottom portion of the cultivation container P for cultivating the plant G and a storage portion T capable of storing the liquid W supplied to the plant G through a supply / discharge tube 2 with a tube pump 1 interposed therebetween. tare Rutotomoni in the drive provided transport apparatus 3 can be conveyed fluid through said supply and discharge tube 2,
The direction of transport of fluid by the transport device 3 is switched between a direction of transporting fluid from the storage unit T side to the cultivation container P side and a direction of transporting fluid from the cultivation container P side to the storage unit T side. A controllable direction switching control unit 6 ;
From the cultivation container P in order to ventilate the culture medium in the cultivation container P after the conveyance of the liquid W from the cultivation container P to the storage unit T is finished. There is a control mechanism 31 that sucks and terminates the outside air .

[Function and effect]
According to the plant cultivating device comprising a present configuration, the direction switching control unit, controlling the conveying direction of the fluid by the conveying device in the direction for conveying the fluid from the reservoir side to the culture vessel side, via the supply and discharge tube by the tube pump Te, the liquid to be supplied to the plant to be stored in the storage unit, can be supplied to the cultivation container for growing plants. On the other hand, by the direction switching control unit, controlling the conveying direction of the fluid by the conveying device in the direction for conveying the fluid to the reservoir side of the cultivation container side, via the supply and discharge tube by a tube pump, Ya cultivation container or et Liquid gas it is possible to discharge the reservoir.

  Therefore, according to the transport device of this configuration, since the fluid is transported by the tube pump through the supply / discharge tube, maintenance of the supply / discharge tube that is in direct contact with the transported fluid is mainly performed, and the maintenance work is simplified. It becomes possible. And tube pumps are smaller than vacuum pumps and compressors, and vibration and noise during driving are also small. For example, without leaving the surrounding environment in a veranda, solarium, indoors, etc. in residential areas. It can be used suitably and is convenient.

Furthermore, for example, by circulating through the clogging same supply and discharge tube in the same path, and supplies the liquid to a predetermined cultivation container, or to discharge a predetermined cultivation container or et liquid or gas Therefore, both the supply path for supplying moisture and nutrients to the plant and the discharge path for discharging moisture and nutrients from the plant are provided separately, or liquid is supplied to each of the supply path and the discharge path. It is not necessary to provide a tank for storing the liquid and various pump facilities for transporting the fluid, and the structure of the plant cultivation apparatus can be simplified. Moreover, since a fluid is conveyed by such a circulation path, it becomes possible to grasp | ascertain easily the supply quantity etc. to the cultivation container of the said liquid by measuring the quantity of the liquid of a storage part.

Moreover, while preventing the root rot of the plant cultivated with a cultivation container , it becomes possible to promote ventilation | gas_flowing in a culture medium and to fully supply oxygen to the root zone of a plant.

That is, since the supply and discharge tubes, are communicatively connected to the bottom of the culture vessel, the supply and discharge tube when supplying liquid to the reservoir either et cultivation container is that is communicatively connected to the bottom of such a culture vessel The liquid is surely supplied from the end of the plant to the rhizosphere of the plant in the cultivation container, and the liquid is surely supplied to the plant.

On the other hand, in the case of discharging the fluid to the cultivation container or al reservoir side, the liquid is reliably sucked and discharged cultivation vessel from the end of the supply and discharge tubes are communicatively connected to the bottom of the cultivation vessel, planting In addition to preventing root rot of the plant, fresh air sucked from the outside air with the suction of the liquid can be introduced into the medium to promote aeration in the medium. If the suction and discharge operation is further performed after the liquid is discharged, fresh air can be further introduced into the medium from the outside air, thereby further promoting aeration in the medium.

  Moreover, since the outside air ventilated in the culture medium is transported to the storage section side by the suction / discharge operation from the end of the supply / discharge tube, it is stored in the storage section while promoting the ventilation in the culture medium. It is also possible to raise the dissolved oxygen by aeration of the liquid to be produced.

  Therefore, while preventing root rot of the plant cultivated in the cultivation container, and promoting ventilation in the medium, the dissolved oxygen concentration of the liquid stored in the storage part is kept high, and oxygen is supplied to the root zone of the plant. Plants can be grown with sufficient supply.

Moreover, it becomes possible to grow a plant still more reliably by performing moderate ventilation | gas_flowing with respect to a culture medium.
In other words, control by control mechanism, the conveyance of fluid from the culture vessel side, after completion of the conveyance of liquid into the reservoir from the culture vessel, to perform ventilation to medium cultivation vessel, sucking air in through the cultivation vessel to terminate and, when venting the outside air at the medium by suction from the end portion of the supply and discharge tubes, it is possible to perform adequate ventilation to a medium.
Therefore, it is possible to grow one layer securely plants.

The characteristic configuration of the invention according to claim 2 is that the control mechanism stops the suction of the outside air from the cultivation container based on the time required for the conveyance of the liquid and the outside air from the cultivation container, and ends the conveyance. It is in the place where it is configured as follows .

[Function and effect]
According to this configuration, the structure of the control mechanism can be simplified by stopping the suction of the outside air from the cultivation container based on the time required to convey the liquid and the outside air from the cultivation container, and ending the conveyance . Maintenance of the control device is easy and simple .

  In addition, as mentioned above, although the code | symbol was written in order to make contrast with drawing convenient, this invention is not limited to the structure of an accompanying drawing by this entry.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
In FIG. 1, one Embodiment of the plant cultivation apparatus which concerns on this invention is shown. As shown in the figure, this plant cultivation apparatus communicates with a tube pump 1 between a cultivation container P for cultivating a plant G and a storage portion T capable of storing a liquid W supplied to the plant G. While providing the conveyance apparatus 3 which can convey the fluid between the said cultivation container P and the said storage part T via the connected supply / discharge tube 2, the conveyance direction of the fluid by the said conveyance apparatus 3 is set to the storage part T. A direction switching control unit 6 capable of switching control between a direction in which fluid is supplied from the side to the cultivation container P side and a direction in which fluid is discharged from the cultivation container P side to the storage unit T side is provided.

The cultivation container P is for cultivating the plant G, and can accommodate a medium for cultivating the plant G therein, and stores the liquid W supplied from the supply / discharge tube 2 therein. It is configured to be able to.
As the medium contained in the cultivation container P, any medium can be used as long as the plant G can be cultivated, and commonly used culture soil, humus soil, moss, etc., vermiculite, perlite, rock Artificial materials such as wool, hydroballs and sponges may be used.

  Incidentally, as shown in FIG. 1, a partition plate having a through hole on the inner side of the bottom of the cultivation container P is provided as a partition member 11 that transmits liquid or gas and hardly transmits solid matter, and above the partition member 11. If one of the end portions of the supply / discharge tube 2 is disposed below the partition member 11 when the fluid is conveyed through the supply / discharge tube 2 as will be described later, The possibility that the medium is mixed in the tube 2 can be reduced, and the possibility that the root of the plant G grows in the supply / discharge tube 2 can be reduced. The partition member 11 may be either integral with the cultivation container P or may be a separate member, and is not limited to the partition plate illustrated in the figure, and transmits liquid or gas. As long as it is difficult to permeate solids, any material may be used, for example, a root-proof sheet, a net, a felt, a sponge, or the like.

  And the said storage part T may be comprised from what kind of material, if the liquid W for supplying to a plant can be stored. The liquid W may be simple water or a nutrient solution obtained by dissolving various growth components for growing plants (for example, nutrient components, vital components, bactericidal components, etc.) in water.

  Moreover, the said tube pump 1 is interposed in the middle of the supply / exhaust tube 2 connected in communication between the cultivation container P and the storage part T, and is a commonly used tube pump (also called a roller pump or a periphery). A static pump may be used. In addition, the tube pump rotates the rotor provided with a plurality of rollers on the outer peripheral side in the circumferential direction, so that the rollers rotate while pressing the elastic supply / discharge tube against the inner wall of the pump head, and the fluid inside the supply / discharge tube When the portion pressed by the roller of the supply / discharge tube returns to the original shape by the restoring force, the next fluid can be sucked by the vacuum generated in the supply / discharge tube. The pump has a pump function of suction and discharge by continuously performing this operation.

  The supply / exhaust tube 2 may be any material as long as it can convey a fluid by rotating the tube pump 1 as described above, and has any elasticity and a predetermined pressure-resistant structure. Although the thing formed from the thing may be sufficient, the thing to which the coloring process for preventing generation | occurrence | production of algae is given is more preferable.

  This supply / exhaust tube 2 only needs to be disposed so as to communicate between the cultivation container P and the storage portion T. For example, as shown in FIG. What is necessary is just to connect and connect the other end part to the bottom part of the storage part T. Incidentally, as shown in FIG. 1, filters 21 and 22 are provided at each end of the supply / discharge tube 2 in order to prevent foreign matter such as plant roots and culture medium from entering the supply / discharge tube. It is preferable to leave it.

  In addition, the supply / exhaust tube 2 should just communicate and connect between the cultivation container P and the storage part T, and connects several tubes in addition to what consists of a single tube. Needless to say, it may be a single tube.

  In this embodiment, a control device C for controlling the operation of the tube pump 1 is provided, and the direction switching control unit 6 and the time control mechanism 31 are provided.

  The direction switching control unit 6 controls the forward / reverse rotation of the rotation of the tube pump 1, thereby moving the fluid (liquid W) from the storage unit T side to the cultivation container P side. It is configured to be switchable between a supply direction and a direction in which fluid (liquid W or outside air) is discharged from the cultivation container P side to the storage section T side, and the rotation of the tube pump 1 can be controlled by a manual switch. Even if configured, it may be configured such that the control of the rotation of the tube pump can be controlled automatically every predetermined time by a timer or the like. In the latter case, the liquid W is surely supplied to the plant without forgetting it. Can be preferred.

  In the embodiment, the time control mechanism 31 is based on the measurement of the rotation time of the tube pump 1 by a timer and the rotation speed of the tube pump 1 from the end of the supply / discharge tube 2 connected to the bottom of the cultivation container P. Conveyance of fluid (liquid W or outside air) to the storage unit T side is configured to be terminated by stopping the rotation of the tube pump 1 at a predetermined time. The plant can be grown more reliably. Here, as an example, after the transportation of the liquid from the inside of the cultivation container P to the storage unit T side is finished, the transportation is finished after a predetermined time so that the aeration process can be performed as described later.

  In addition, the time control mechanism 31 finishes conveyance of the fluid (liquid W or outside air) from the end of the supply / discharge tube 2 connected to the bottom of the cultivation container P to the storage unit T side at a predetermined time. It only has to be configured. Moreover, not only this time control mechanism 31 but after conveying a predetermined amount of fluid from the supply / discharge tube 2 end connected to the bottom of the cultivation container P to the storage unit T side. There may be a control mechanism to be terminated, and for example, it may be configured to be controlled by management based on the EC (electric conductivity) of the medium, the pH of the medium, the transport amount of the liquid, or the humidity of the medium. Of course.

Next, the usage method of the plant cultivation apparatus comprised as mentioned above is demonstrated, referring FIG.
(1) As shown in FIGS. 2 (a) and 2 (b), by rotating the tube pump 1 in the normal direction, the liquid W is supplied and conveyed from the storage unit T side to the cultivation container P side, and a predetermined amount of liquid is supplied. If it supplies, the supply process which stops rotation of the tube pump 1 will be performed. In addition, it is suitable if the supply amount of the liquid W to the cultivation container P is automatically controlled by the control device C so as to obtain an optimum irrigation depth depending on the type of the plant G.
(2) When a predetermined time has elapsed since the liquid W was supplied to the cultivation container P, the liquid W is discharged from the cultivation container P side to the storage unit T side by reversing the rotation of the tube pump 1. A process is performed and the root rot of the plant by the excessive supply of the liquid W is prevented.
(3) Next, after the discharge of the liquid W from the cultivation container P side is completed, the tube pump 1 is further continuously rotated in the reverse direction so that the outside air is sucked from the cultivation container P side and conveyed to the storage unit T side. By performing for a predetermined time, the dissolved oxygen concentration of the liquid W stored in the storage part T is increased while the medium is aerated.

  By repeating the above operations sequentially, it becomes possible to continue plant cultivation by simply repeating water supply and drainage to an appropriate plant and aeration of liquid W. In addition, although the example which starts after supplying a liquid to the cultivation container side by the process (1) was demonstrated in the said example, it is needless to say that it may start from a process (2) not only in such a form.

  Thus, according to the present invention, the operation sound is quiet, and liquid supply, drainage, and ventilation in the cultivation container can be easily performed. Furthermore, as described above, it is possible to enable liquid supply, drainage, aeration in the cultivation container, and aeration of the liquid in the storage unit with a single supply / discharge tube by simply changing the rotation direction of the tube pump. Can be advantageous.

[Another embodiment]
Other embodiments will be described below.
<1> In the previous embodiment, an example in which one supply / discharge tube 2 is interposed in the tube pump 1 has been described. However, a plurality of supply / discharge tubes 2 are interposed in a single tube pump 1 due to the ability of the tube pump 1. Of course, you may comprise. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the head of the tube pump 1 is configured in a multi-stage manner, and each of the three supply / discharge tubes 2 connected in communication between the cultivation container P and the storage portion T is a single unit. It may be interposed in the tube pump 1.

<2> Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 4, a single supply / discharge tube 2 connected in communication between the cultivation container P and the storage unit T is distributed between the tube pump 1 and the cultivation container P. The container 41 may be branched and connected to the plurality of cultivation containers P to supply liquid to the plurality of cultivation containers P.

<3> Moreover, as shown in FIG. 5, the outside air suction mechanism 35 which can attract | suck external air from the intermediate part between the tube pump 1 and the cultivation container P among the supply / exhaust tubes 2, and can convey the inside of the supply / exhaust tube 2 is provided. While providing in the conveyance apparatus 3 and performing the conveyance of the fluid to the storage part T side from the end part of the supply / discharge tube 2 connected to the bottom part of the cultivation container P for a predetermined time, from the said intermediate part to the storage part T side A transfer switching mechanism 36 that switches to outside air transfer may be provided. In the example shown in FIG. 5, the branch valve (electromagnetic valve etc.) B which branches the supply / discharge tube 2 by the side of the cultivation container P is provided in the intermediate part between the tube pump 1 and the cultivation container P in the supply / discharge tube 2. It is. And by switching of the branch valve B, it conveys to the storage part T side from the edge part of the supply / exhaust tube 2 connected to the cultivation container P, and sucks outside air from the intermediate part to the storage part T side. The transfer switching mechanism 36 for switching to the outside air transfer is provided in the control device C, and the liquid in the storage unit can be sufficiently aerated while appropriately ventilating the culture medium.

<4> In addition, in the previous embodiment, although the structure which connects one end part of a supply / exhaust tube to the bottom part of a cultivation container was demonstrated, it is not restricted to such a structure, For example, depending on the plant to grow Of course, one end of the supply / discharge tube may be disposed above or above the cultivation container.

(Example)
Specific examples will be described below. As a cultivation container, a plastic hanging pot (diameter 270 mm, depth 200 mm) is used, the drain at the bottom is closed, an attached eye plate is set, and a root-proof sheet is laid. An air stone filter is attached to the end of a urethane tube (outer diameter: 8 mm, inner diameter: 6 mm) as an example of the supply / discharge tube, and this air stone filter is placed as low as possible on the bottom surface of the bowl under the eye plate. The other end of the urethane tube is taken out from the upper part of the hanging pot, and connected to a tube in the pump (corresponding to a supply / discharge tube) of a tube pump about 5 m ahead by a joint. As the tube inside the pump, a durable tube (outer diameter 8 mm, inner diameter 5 mm) for the roller pump is used about 10 cm. Then, a urethane tube (outer diameter: 8 mm, inner diameter: 6 mm) as an example of a supply / discharge tube is connected to the other end of the pump inner tube, and a nutrient solution tank (poly tank with a capacity of 20 L) corresponding to a storage portion about 1 m away. Lead to. At the end of the urethane tube, attach an air stone filter and place it at the bottom of the nutrient solution tank.
Rock wool is put in a hanging pot, and three petunia seedlings are placed in this pot and hung. The normal rotation power supply input terminal and the reverse rotation power supply input terminal of the tube pump are connected to timers, and the timer is set so that normal rotation (liquid feeding) and reverse rotation (drainage, aeration) can be set in the schedule of Table 1.

The number of revolutions of the pump is about 160 rpm, whereby about 500 cc of liquid is sent each time, and at the time of reverse rotation, about 2 minutes of drainage and about 1 minute of nutrient solution aeration are performed. Aeration can be confirmed by bubbles in the nutrient solution tank. Since the drainage time and the drainage amount vary depending on the cultivation temperature, humidity, and degree of growth, they are adjusted as appropriate.
In addition, the nutrient solution tank is replenished with a liquid obtained by diluting a commercially available liquid fertilizer about 1000 times (EC = 1 to 2 is preferable). Or when putting a slow release solid fertilizer in a hanging pot, a nutrient solution tank may be filled with tap water.
Cultivation was started under the above conditions. In addition to replenishing the nutrient solution to the nutrient tank every 10 days to 2 weeks, without any other management work, it is possible to grow a petunia with about 1 m after 1 month and about 2 m after 3 months with a rich flower height. did it.

Explanatory drawing which shows one Embodiment of the plant cultivation apparatus which concerns on this invention Explanatory drawing which shows one Embodiment of the plant cultivation method which concerns on this invention Explanatory drawing which shows another embodiment of this invention Explanatory drawing which shows another embodiment of this invention Explanatory drawing which shows another embodiment of this invention

Explanation of symbols

G plant P growing container T reservoir W Liquid 1 tube pump 2 supply and discharge tubes 3 carrying device 6 direction switching controller 31 hour control Organization

Claims (2)

A bottom part of a cultivation container for cultivating a plant and a storage part capable of storing a liquid to be supplied to the plant are connected in communication with a supply / discharge tube with a tube pump interposed therebetween, and the tube pump is driven to pass through the supply / discharge tube. A transport device capable of transporting fluid is provided,
Direction switching that can be controlled to switch the direction in which the fluid is conveyed by the conveyance device between a direction in which the fluid is conveyed from the storage unit side to the cultivation container side and a direction in which the fluid is conveyed from the cultivation container side to the storage unit side A control unit;
Conveying the fluid from the cultivation container side, after finishing conveying the liquid from the cultivation container to the storage unit, finishes by sucking outside air from the cultivation container in order to ventilate the culture medium in the cultivation container A plant cultivation device provided with a control mechanism.   The said control mechanism is comprised so that the attraction | suction of the outside air from the said cultivation container may be stopped based on the time which the liquid and the outside air from the said cultivation container require, and conveyance is complete | finished. Plant cultivation equipment.

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